Hand over Centre's land in Mumbai to BMC: Sena MP

MUMBAI: The land held by the Centre and Maharashtra government in the city has become the latest bone of contention between the Shiv Sena and BJP.

After the BJP-led state government issued a directive making the state's imprimatur mandatory to decide on the lease for the racecourse and gymkhanas in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena has reacted by demanding that properties belonging to the Union and state governments be handed over to the BMC to "implement the Development Plan (DP) effectively". Activists said the party is trying score brownie points and bolster its credentials as the city's "guardian angel".

Sena MP Rahul Shewale urged the Union government to form a Mumbai Development Plan Implementation Authority. Shewale, who represents the south-central Mumbai constituency, raised the issue in the Lok Sabha. "There are difficulties in implementing the DP due to delays in handing over the land owned by the Centre and state to the BMC," Shewale said.

"As a result, in the last 20 years only 9% of the DP has been implemented on these plots. The Centre must release Rs 14 lakh crore for the city in the next five years as Mumbai contributes 30% of the total revenue to the exchequer," he added.

Around 90-100 sq km land in the city is owned by the Railways, Mumbai Port Trust, defence authorities, MMRDA, collector, Slum Rehabilitation Authority, central and state public works department. These land parcels are not part of the DP.

The Sena's demand for more land for the BMC is politically motivated, said experts. Pankaj Joshi, executive director of the Urban Development Research Institute, welcomed the demand. "About 20% of the city's land is out of the DP, the 66% population living on these plots are deprived of basic amenities," Joshi said.

"Instead of multiple authorities, the city should have a single authority, which should be accountable for everything. Currently, there are many agencies and their officials pass the buck on many occasions. The DP's implementation should be reviewed every year," he added.